bump and roll

Bump and Roll is an interactive exhibit that demonstrates nanomaterial properties using an everyday object: a leaf of cabbage. The nanoscale structures on a cabbage leaf cause water to bead up and slide off its surface. Scientists are replicating these “superhydrophobic” properties with nanotechnology. Drip water onto a cabbage leaf, and change the angle of the surface to see how the droplets behave. Find out about the super-small bumps that make this surprising behavior possible.

The Science Museum of Minnesota surveyed 30 museum visitors after they used the Bump and Roll exhibit. This formative testing of the exhibit assessed the activity's ability to teach about nanoscale properties and scientists' uses of them.